The Relastovan Federation (Relastovan: Реластоваская Федерация), commonly known as Relastova, is a country in southern Althena. It is a federal presidential republic, comprising 15 federal states and 1 federal district.

History

The history of Relastova begins with that of the Slavs and the Laek-Valiscan peoples. Relastova was dominated by many small cities that came together to fight the Calibrians during Antiquity. They resisted the various attempts from the Calibrians to set foot in Relastova by joining forces. In 614, they couldn't resist the invasion of the Rokes from the East.

Relastovan Empire

After the 7th century, Theodosia came to dominate the former cultural center. By the 18th century, the Tsardom of Relastova had become the huge Relastovan Empire, stretching from the Anokan Commonwealth eastward to the Tresta Sea. Expansion in the western direction sharpened Relastova's awareness of its separation from much of the rest of Western Althena and shattered the isolation in which the initial stages of expansion had occurred. Successive regimes of the 18th century responded to such pressures with a combination of halfhearted reform and repression. By the 19th century, Relastova had started a industrial revolution and increased drastically its trades with Sinope. Relastova was a major Althenan power. In 1904, the Romanov family, the ruling royal family, saw itself cut in a succession conflict that resulted in the reign of Tsar Nikolas I who considerably expanded the Empire in the south and strengthened the ties with Sinope.

Marxist-Nikolist Empire

Nikolas had previously traveled and lived in Sinope where he met the Brullen philosopher Karl Marx. He was very impressed and interested by his critic of capitalism and his theory of communism. Coming in power, Nikolas established a Marxist-Nikolist society based on Imperialism and Communism. Nikolas’s theory of "permanent revolution" held that, historically, an economic system had to be seen as a world system rather than a national one. Marxist-Nikolism favors a socialist Empire in a framework of a constitutional monarchy driven by the working class under the lead of the royal imperial family of Romanov. Nikolas' changes were opposed by many in his own family and by the nobles and elite existing that were exploiting the proletariat in Relastovan factories across the Empire. With the population's support, Nikolas ruled and established an elected Imperial Citizen Assembly which was to help and decide day-to-day legislation with the Imperial Family. The Tsar had final veto over any legislation that was considered as non-communist.

Great Adonian War

Postwar and Independence

Following the end of the Great Adonian War, Relastova emerged as a leading superpower in Adonia and drove its influence on neighbouring states in Southern Althena. Relastova decided not to support Sinope in the Second Kariko War. In 1982, Doge Panthoides of Sinope secretly helped Lechian independentists and Relastovan Republicans in forming a coup d'état against the Romanov's. The Relastovan Revolution, also known as the Republican Revolution, began in April 1962 with the first major demonstrations against the Tsar. After strikes and demonstrations paralysed the country and its economy, the Tsar fled the country in October 1962 and Vitaly Popov returned from exile to Theodosia. In November 1962 Relastova officially became the Relastovan Federation, after its establishment was supported in a referendum and the dissolution of the Relastovan Empire was absolute, creating numerous smaller countries. Nationwide uprisings against the new regime erupted in many cities to put back in power the Romanov family, though they were eventually subdued.

Today Relastova is a democratic federal republic with socialist policies. While some former Relastovan Empire countries (ex. Lechia) are now fully capitalistic, most countries followed Relastova's lead and established similar socialist republics. Relastova-Sinope relations are excellent while relations with Lechia are tensed due to this cleavage in ideologies and historical tensions between the two peoples.